This change in Gemini Live will please those who like to stay discreet.

Google continues to improve its Gemini assistant with a game-changing new feature. A long-awaited feature is finally making its debut to facilitate communication, even without sound. A discreet solution designed for everyday situations.

Gemini Live is a feature of Google's voice assistant, which allows you to chat verbally with artificial intelligence in real time. Accessible on a smartphone, it displays a full-screen interface to chat directly with Gemini, without using the keyboard. But talking to your phone isn't always practical. In meetings, on public transport or in public, it can be difficult, even embarrassing, to listen to responses out loud. Users are therefore looking for more discreet ways to interact with AI, without turning on the sound.

It is in this context that Google is rolling out a new feature for its Gemini Live service: the arrival of live captions. From now on, it is possible to read the assistant's responses in real time, directly on the screen. A solution designed for noisy environments or times when the sound must remain muted.

Google adds real-time subtitles to Gemini Live

The feature appears as a new button in the top right corner of Gemini Live's full-screen interface. By tapping it, a translucent banner appears in the center of the screen, displaying responses as they are received. If the phone's volume is too low or muted, Gemini Live automatically suggests activating subtitles. This allows you to start a conversation without having to turn up the volume, which was not possible before.

Google has also integrated several customization options. Users can change the style and size of subtitles in Gemini's settings, via the “Captioning Preferences” section. This feature is not yet available on all devices, but it is starting to appear in version 16.21.57 of the Google app on Android. This new silent response mode joins other recent AI developments, such as screen sharing and camera access, already being rolled out. It’s another step towards making Gemini Live a more flexible assistant that can be used in any situation.